Coast Reporter sent a Q&A out to each of the six West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country candidates for the 2025 election. The candidates include Jäger Rosenberg, Peyman Askari, Gordon Jeffrey, Patrick Weiler, Keith Roy and Lauren Greenlaw. Election day is April 28. See more at elections.ca.
Name: Patrick Weiler
Party: Liberal Party of Canada
Age: 38
Occupation: Environmental lawyer
Do you live in the riding? Where and for how long? I live in West Vancouver - with the boundary changes, I am now a few blocks outside the riding.
Social media: @patrickbweiler
Website: ReElectPatrickWeiler.ca
Why are you running in this election? I was born and raised in this riding, it’s my home, and it’s been an honour to serve it. I’m running for re-election to prevent right-wing populism from taking hold in Canada, to help residents, workers and small businesses thrive, and move towards a sustainable and prosperous economy.
How can the federal government help mental health and addictions support and recovery on the Sunshine Coast? The 2023 health agreement with BC is investing $1.2B to expand mental health and addictions services, like the Foundry center for the Coast to provide mental health and substance support. A treatment/recovery facility is being planned for shíshálh community-based care, and I'm advocating for more treatment/recovery.
How would your party help address the need for affordable housing? Over $272M in federal funding has built 1,100 affordable homes in our riding since 2019 including the Shaw and School Road projects, and the House of Clans. We’ll work with SCAHS to build more, and work with municipalities and the private sector to double the pace of housing construction.
How will your party fight climate change? Our climate plan is transitioning our electricity sector and vehicles to non-emitting sources, decarbonizing industry, helping Canadians do retrofits, and investing in nature-based solutions bringing emissions to the lowest level since 1996. We’ll achieve net-zero by capping emissions from oil/gas, increasing the industrial carbon price, and scaling clean energy.
There are more than 7,000 Sunshine Coast residents without doctors, on the federal side, what's your party's plan to support health care? Healthcare is provincial jurisdiction, but we increased health transfers to help them deliver the services we expect. We provided student loan forgiveness for doctors that practice on the Coast, increased funding to BC for foreign credential recognition and are working on labour mobility so we can get more doctors here.
Amid rising economic uncertainty, small businesses are hurting. How does your party propose to support them? To tackle external economic disruptions with the US, we need to strengthen our internal economy. That means eliminating internal trade barriers by July, investing in infrastructure to facilitate business west-east, helping expand markets internally and with other trade partners, support for businesses and workers hit by the effect of tariffs.
Small towns across B.C. are struggling with crime, what's your party's plan to address this? We strengthened bail laws for violent repeat offenders, and will make bail harder to obtain for organized crime, home invasions, car theft, and human trafficking, especially for repeat offenders, while respecting the Charter of Rights. We’ll also recruit 1,000 more RCMP and CBSA personnel to crack down on fentanyl.
Do you believe the coastal B.C. ferry system should receive federal financial support at a level commensurate with similar systems elsewhere in the country and how would you work to ensure that is achieved? All provincial ferry systems receive annual funding based on the distance traveled as part of our Trans-Canada Highway system. The Canada Infrastructure Bank invested $75 million in BC Ferries to procure new ferries last year. I am working with Greenline Ferries to establish an electric Gibsons-Vancouver ferry service for 2027.
What's your party's plan to advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples on the Sunshine Coast? Building on the updated self-government agreement, making progress in the rights and recognition table. Closing the infrastructure and service gap and working together on joint projects like the water security project for the Sunshine Coast. Working on environmental stewardship and Indigenous guardians programs. Continued work on building a trusted relationship.
What's an issue you personally wish we talked more about in this election? This election has very quickly become a question of how we can deal with the Trump Administration in the US as we face threats to our economy and our very sovereignty. It’s clear and correct that we need to focus on that. However, I do wish we had more time to talk about important environmental and resource questions, like protecting our incredible water resources, conserving more of our land, and addressing climate change to ensure future generations can enjoy this beautiful environment that we call our home.
